


Decisions Decisions (Merlin)

by Mnemosnye



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Analysis, Character Study, Other, Season 2, or plot analysis, somewhat of a story analysis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:34:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23813125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mnemosnye/pseuds/Mnemosnye
Summary: As per usual Katie Mcgath gets the complex and short end of the stick characters. I am only in season 3 episode 3 so going forward I don’t know what is going to happen but I can see they will make Morgana the villain. This is somewhat of a story analysis looking at how the plot and Merlin's choices affect Morganas character turning villainous.Gaius "the future isn't set in stone. It is made by the choices you make" s2 ep11This is a story analysis/break down done episodically but not in order. I am simply sharing my opinion and would love for people to please take a look and comment. I'd love to see if anyone agrees or disagrees. I think I make some good points. This may/could turn into a fan fiction depending on where I want to make changes in the story.
Kudos: 2





	1. s2 ep11 thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> Hey if you are reading this thank you so much for checking it out. If you are a fan of the show or simply a watcher of it you may find my perspective interesting even if you disagree. Feel free to leave a comment on your opinion as well. Also, as an after thought I figured I should mention I AM ONLY ON SEASON 3 EPISODE 3 per the uploading of this piece so if you could reframe from spoiling the show i'd appreciate it. However, I do understand in order for you to argue against or for my perspective on the plot and characters you might insight future revealed knowledge.

S2 ep11

  
  


As per usual Katie Mcgath gets the complex and short end of the stick characters. I am only in season 2 so going forward I don’t know what is going to happen but I can see they will make Morgana the villain. I picked this episode because it’s where I am calling bs and hypocrisy on what gaius said.

He told Merlin that what he saw in the stone wasn’t set in stone because the future is made up of our choices. However from the beginning of the series he and the dragon make it seem as though Morgana was destined to do evil, Mordred is destined to kill Arthur, and Merlin is destined to save Arthur. The way the great dragon and Gaius speak of and treat Morgana is unfair. They act as though everything is set in stone with no changing it. Morgana will be a witch and she will work with Mordred to kill Arthur is what they imprint in Merlin's mind. However isn’t it possible that the information they are feeding him about a future they see is what actually causes said future to come to pass? They are what cause Morgana to become a “villain” by painting her as such in Merlin's mind. It is because of this he doesn’t tell or show her that magic can be used for good, he poisons her, and she is left feeling so alone she turns to Mordred, Morgause, and Alvaar. 

Telling Merlin she can’t be saved, she shouldn't know about her magic, and should be killed in the end is what shapes how Merlin see’s her. I also think it’s absolutely crazy that Merlin would go to such lengths to save a murdered and executioner of children like Uther but not hesitate to poison Morgana. In addition his decision comes from a dragon who Merlin saw destroying Camelot in the future but also a dragon whose motives have been proven to be skewed and deceptive. He tricked Merlin into killing his own mother and yet Merlin Kills Morgana based on the word of this dragon. Now, I understand that Morgana was being used by Morgause and that technically she made her choice by telling Morgause that she wanted Uther dead but she would never have felt the need if she had any allies. Merlin could’ve been her ally but instead he is more an ally to Uther and his war on magic then he is an ally to Morgana. It is bold of me to say Merlin would’ve prevented her from getting close to and talking to Morgause especially since they would’ve still disagreed on killing Uther but if Merlin had been a genuine friend Camelot probably wouldn't have been at war with Morguase and Cendred.

Now this all might sound like I dislike Merlin but that’s not the case. I wish he made different choices and I wish the people (Gaius and the dragon) giving him advice and counsel weren’t so biased against Morgana. More evidence showing that Merlin’s treatment of Morgana played a vital role in her becoming evil is Freya. As a refresher Freya is the cursed Druid Merlin fell in love with, She turns into a panther beast with wings at night as part of said curse. She is evidence because it shows Merlin is willing to give other magic users his understanding, time, and companionship but refuses to do so with Morgana. He doesn’t hesitate to reveal his magic to Freya whereas he conceals it from Morgana purely based on Gaius’s words. This leads me to the sword fight and verbal argument between Morgana and Merlin in the tombs. This is the scene where Morgana, Cendred, and Morgause attack Camelot. During this verbal argument Morgana tells Merlin he doesn’t understand what it’s like to be alone, scared, have magic, fear for his life or have to hide who he is. As we all know this is false Merlin does understand (even though his actions don’t always reflect so). However Morgana doesn’t know that because Merlin kept it from her. These two scenes tie together because if Merlin had been as open with his friend Morgana as he had been with a stranger like Freya Morgana wouldn’t have felt alone, scared for her life, and pressured. 

I would also like to mention that Uther is a complicated leader who isn’t completely evil, I am not of the belief that anyone is truly evil. However, his unspeakable crimes and genocide attempts are so easily overlooked by Gaius, Merlin, and Arthur which I find unbelievable. Of the three only Arthur has an excuse to be blind and forgiving as he is Uther's son but Merlin and Gaius, who are users of magic, should understand better than most the pain he has caused. 

Despite all of this in the end Morgana chose evil. Aiming to kill Uther is a just cause in my opinion but at what cost? She killed innocent people and therefore isn’t much better than him. They could’ve just as easily killed Uther and let Arthur become king. Sure the death of his father might hinder him during his reign or the beginning of it but in the end Arthur wouldn’t drown children and burn parents. He can be reasoned with better than Uther can be. Morgana fails to realize her sister wants to rule Camelot, not just get rid of Uther.

I have a theory that Morgana is under Morgauses control somehow. I’m not saying this to excuse her actions but to explain how a girl who protects women and children in season 1 has no problem with them dying by the end of season 2. However Morgause has proven that she can use Morgana for her own agenda when she uses her to put Camelot to sleep. She also showed that she cares for her when she saved her from Merlin poison. It is also possible that Morgana's complete motives are currently hidden and will be revealed later (i am on s3 ep3). For instance she now knows she has a sister. What if Uther actually did intentionally kill her Father or maybe her mother? Combined this is my theory as to why Morgana is an almost completely different person from the beginning of the series.


	2. The Real Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still on Season 3 episode 3 but with some spoiler knowledge of what's to come. I stand by the idea's presented in this chapter whole heartedly because when I realized this it felt almost like cracking the code. I'd definitely love to discuss this with readers but simply sharing my opinion is why I'm posting. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Traffic on this story has been slow not that I'm surprised. I don't know if this is the best place to be posting/discussing this but I like it so oh well.  
> Enjoy.

So I was watching some scenes on youtube and you all know how the comment section can be as far as people debating and expressing their opinion. While doing this I finally came to realize that the real villain in the show isn't Uther, Morgana, or Mordred instead the true force of evil in this tragic tale is fate/destiny. Whether he fought against or for destiny/prophecy (which Merlin did both) in the end people simply suffered and died. The idea that Merlin is guilty of prejudice against Morgana, and Morgana is guilty of killing innocent people is almost overlookable when you consider the idea that there was no free will. Their choices and decision matter very little because in the end they were puppets to the actual malevolence called fate. On numerous different occasions both Gaius and Kilgharrah contradict themselves by insinuating that the destiny of certain characters can not be changed but also claiming the future isn't set in stone. Gaius is more guilty of this than kilgharrah as you'll know from the previous chapter. From the beginning Merlin was the hero, Morgana and Mordred were the villains and Arthur was doomed to die before truly seeing peace. Once you realize this debating over characters actions, inactions, faults, and responsibility feels like a waste and seems unfair to them. 

To put it bluntly I am saying Merlin, Morgana, Mordred, and Arthur are pawns and the people playing are the Moirai (the fates). From the very beginning Gaius and Kilgharrah act as though Morgana, despite clearly starting out innocent and helping save multiple people, was doomed to turn evil. They both act as though this is an unchanging fact telling. As a result Merlin attempts to kill her and keeps her at an arms length by concealing his magic. Morgana trusted Gaius and Merlin far more then they ever trusted her. For whatever reason Morgana revealed her magic to Merlin instead of Gwen and shared her suspicions that she had magic with Gaius instead of Arthur. Had she chose Arthur and Gwen I wonder how different the story would be. However, according to Kilgharrah the story was always bound to end the same; Morgana the villain, Mordred evil, Merlin the hero, and Arthur king.

Merlin himself acknowledges that he played a role in what Morgana would become before killing her. I think it speaks volumes for him to confess that after she tortures and tries to kill him an exhausting amount of times. Lastly, the story of Morgana is a tragedy. The reason I say this is because anyone who watches the whole show than goes back and watches season 1 is baffled by the evolution of her character. Even I'm baffled and I haven't even finished yet. It's a tragedy because she was the biggest advocate for change more so than Merlin, Arthur, and Gaius put together. No one verbally opposed Uthers ways or begged Uther to be a better man than she did. Arthur only ever opposed his father as strongly as Morgana did when it came to his mothers death and Gwens near execution which to me speaks volumes. Now don't get me wrong Arthur does have a moral compass and does try to protect the voiceless but in the beginning is efforts paled greatly in comparison to Morgana's. The excuse that Uther is his father only works for so long given that Morgana was also raised by Uther yet she isn't as complacent as Arthur in season 1. Additionally, that excuse doesn't work all that well given that he was willing to kill his father after finding out the death of his mother was his fault. 

In essence what I am saying is that no one in the story is innocent, except Gwen but like I said I haven't finished so maybe she'll fuck up too. Both Arthur and Morgana end up being more like their father than they'd like. The argument could be made about which turned out the closest but in the end it doesn't matter because they are just pawns on a chess board. The role of fate/destiny in the show creates and illusion of free will but is there really?


End file.
